Louis Antoine de Bourbon, Duc d'Angoulême (1778-1844)
was a member of the French Royal Family who returned to France with
the British in 1814, fought against Napoleon's supporters during the
100 Days, and who died in exile after his father Charles X was
overthrown.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

The Peace of Callias (c.448 BC)
was almost certainly a formal peace treaty between Persia and the
Athenian-led Greek alliance that ended half a century of open conflict
between the two powers, and established their spheres of influence in
the eastern Mediterranean.

The Greco-Persian Wars of c.500-448 BC
involved a series of clashes between the Persian Empire and the Greeks
of Asia Minor and mainland Greece, and ended as something of a draw,
with the Persians unable to conquer mainland Greece and the Greeks
unable to maintain the independence of the cities of Asia Minor.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

The Combat of Hundheim (23 July 1866)
was a Prussian victory over German Federal troops that began to
disrupt an over-ambitious plan for a counterattack aimed at expelling
the Prussians from Frankfurt (Austro-Prussian War of 1866).

The Battle of Blumenau (22 July 1866)
was the final battle of the Austrian phase of the war and saw the
Prussians attack an Austrian position north-west of Pressburg (now
Bratislava), continuing the battle even after news arrived that an
armistice was due to come into effect later on the same day
(Austro-Prussian War of 1866).

Friday, October 16, 2015

The Last Ironsides - The English Expedition to Portugal, 1662-1668, Jonathon Riley.
Looks at the experiences of a small British force that was sent to
help the Portuguese in their war of independence from Spain and that
went on to play an important role in the final stage of the war, taking
part in several of the rare battles and the more numerous sieges. A
fascinating account of an almost forgotten episode in English military
history.
[read full review]

Agincourt: Myth and Reality 1415-2015, Stephen Cooper.
Looks at a series of the most important issues that surround the
battle of Agincourt and attempts to unravel the truth behind them.
Aimed at reader with prior knowledge of the battle, this focused
approach provides some convincing answers to key questions about the
battle. A useful addition to the literature on this well-studied
battle.
[read full review]

My Escape from Donington Hall, Gunther Plüschow.memoir of the only German POW to escape home from mainland
Britain during either World War. Includes a fascinating section on life
in the pre-war German colony of Kiao-Chow, the author's failed attempt
to get home from China and his eventual successful escape from
Donington Hall. Presents an unusual twist on the POW escape story.
[read full review]

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

The battle of Tobitschau (16 July 1866)
saw the Prussians attack the Austrians as they attempted to retreat
south in the aftermath of their defeat at Königgrätz, forcing the
Austrians to abandon their original line of retreat and instead move
east across the Carpathian Mountains (Austria-Prussian War of 1866).

The Battle of Aschaffenburg (14 July 1866)
saw the Prussians gain a foothold on the Main River east of Frankfurt
and made it more difficult for the two Federal forces opposing them to
join up (Austro-Prussian War of 1866).

Friday, October 09, 2015

USS Decatur (DD-5)
was a Bainbridge class destroyer. She was the first destroyer to be
commissioned into the US Navy and served in the Philippines until 1917
then as an escort ship in the Mediterranean theatre.

USS Dale (DD-4)
was a Bainbridge class destroyer and was the second destroyer to be
commissioned into the US Navy. She served in the Philippines for most
of her career, then in the Mediterranean in 1917-1918.

The Douglas XB-19 (XVLR-2)
was the largest US military aircraft completed before the US entry
into the Second World War and provided valuable data for the
development of later heavy bombers such as the Boeing B-29
Superfortress.

Tuesday, October 06, 2015

Roman Soldier vs Germanic Warrior - 1st Century AD, Lindsay Powell.
Focuses on one of the most famous defeats suffered by the Romans, in
the Teutoburg Pass, and the Roman attempts to get revenge on the German
leader Arminius and his allies. Interesting to see how well the German
foot were able to cope with the Roman Legions, even capable of facing
them in formal lines of battle for short periods
[read full review]

The Knight who Saved England, Richard Brooks.
A biography of William Marshal, the most famous English knight of his
day and a key figure in the chaos at the end of the reign of King
John. Starting as a famous competitor in tournaments, Marshal married a
major heiress and moved into the top rank of Medieval society, where
he played an important role in securing the throne for the infant Henry
III.
[read full review]

Battleship Ramillies: The Final Salvo, ed. Ian Johnston with Mick French .
A series of first-hand accounts of life on the Ramillies, almost all
during the Second World War, where she served on convoy escort duty,
was badly damaged during the invasion of Madagascar and fired so many
15in shells in support of the D-Day invasions that her main guns had to
be replaced.
[read full review]

The siege of Danzig (18 March-27 May 1807)
was the main French activity in the spring of 1807 and saw them capture
one of the last strongholds in Prussian hands after the disastrous
defeats of Jena and Auerstadt (War of the Fourth Coalition)